internet access on the road

[Tractorat]

Im probably going to drive from Seattle back to Minnesota here in a few weeks. Im going to take I-90 all the way.

Unfortunatel, I will have to stay current on some email. Can anyone tell me if there is any place to get interet access on that route ? Truck stops, etc ?



Thanks,

TRat

 

[jelag]

Flying J has internet access but its hap hazzard and costly... .



I use IPSWEST as a dial up service..... 7 bucks a month..... or something like that when the motel I'm in doesn't offer wireless with the room... .



My cousin went to Verizon and purchased a card for his cell phone..... 50 bucks and another 59 a month... . if you get can get Verizon this card will connect you to the internet through the cell phone service..... plugs into the side of your laptop like a wireless card.....



Some McD's have wireless for a fee... but have never tired that... .



Most public library's have computers to use during their hours of operation for free... .



We were at the beach last week... . and I rode my bike... bicycle that is the 6 miles to the library and walked in... there were 6 computers with kids playing games... the lady asked me what I needed and I said a computer for email... . she quickly kicked off the kid that had been there the longest..... and said sorry... . and let me sit down...



I told the kid. . don't worry I only need to be here for 15 min... and was done and out of there... .



I also have used internet cafe's on the road..... but sometimes there hard to find...



I've had some luck just pulling into the parking lot of some motels..... usually Holiday Inn's and I think Hamptons... and turning on the lap top and find no security into their wireless network... . other high end hotels will give you a password as you sign in... so the motel next door without the service can't sneek into the network...



There's a super 8 I stay at in So CA... and I get the neighbors motels wireless for free. .



Hope this helps...

 

[bmoeller]

Some rest stops have wireless available.



The McD here has it for free.

 

[WestTN]

Many libraries in bigger towns have wi-fi for free and Books a Million stores have as well.

 

[rknichols]

I have Verizon cell phone, then dial into an ISP (same as if I were using a landline). I had to buy a cable to go between PC and phone. Works anywhere there is cell phone coverage, however, it's very slow.

 

[MRFost]

Download Net Stumbler for use when you have wireless (WIFI). THere are *plenty* of free access places that are covered by your taxes; or are left open either unintentionally or intentionally.

 

[HGreen]

I have pulled into subdivisions, fired up the laptop and drive around until I find an open wireless network in a home. I live between Richmond and Charlottesville, VA and have never failed to find a site within 10 minutes when in a populated area. Just that a big Dodge Ram 4x4 stands out when parked in front of a house, but since I look busy, no one has ever guestioned me, and I do it all the time. People just don't secure home wireless networks. My son is a trucker, and has found Flying J's have a fee for service program in their stops and says others are climbing aboard.

 

[PatrickCampbell]

I use the service that rknicols uses. It's called quick2net from Verizon and it simply counts towards your monthly minutes. It is very slow but works anywhere there is Digital service. I would not use it for anything but e-mail,yet for e-mail it should be fine. There is actual high speed wireless internet from various providers but these are truly high speed only in metro areas. Also MrFost, you are right. So many people leave their WAPs open. Not sure of the legality of using that *rolls eyes* but IMO if you leave it open, people should be able to use it (No, it's really not the same as me going into your house because you left your front door open when your radio waves bleed into my truck!)

 

[TowPro]

I have the verizon card (supplied by work including service) but If I am sitting somewhere I will try to find an open wireless first, much faster then Verizon.

 

[PatrickCampbell]

How quick would you say the VZW service is when you actually get the full speed. I'm talking about their "BroadbandAccess". I would be using this in NYC metro area where they claim to have "full service". They have a card that'll accept external antennas and I have a roof mounted cell antenna on my truck. Not sure if that'll help much or at all.



It looks like they will let me "test" it for 15 days without having to pay cancellation fee if it doesn't work for me. Doesn't give me that much time but I guess enough where I can test our various spots.

 

[Gene Arnold]

Here's a link to a listing of free wi-fi spots.



www.wififreespot.com/

 

[J D Moore]

Quick to net is slow.

National access is much faster, about 2-3 times a dial up modem. Many RVers use the "back door access" that can be found at -- email address removed --. Google it and discover all you need to know in the tutorials and forum. Just don't discuss with Verizon unless you are paying for a data plan. Google Howard's forum for additional info.

EVDO, I understand, offers broadband speed but is not available except in large metro areas.

There is also a forum for WiFi @ InternetByWiFi, google it for more info.

Jim

 

[TowPro]

How quick would you say the VZW service is when you actually get the full speed. I'm talking about their "BroadbandAccess". I would be using this in NYC metro area where they claim to have "full service". They have a card that'll accept external antennas and I have a roof mounted cell antenna on my truck. Not sure if that'll help much or at all.



It looks like they will let me "test" it for 15 days without having to pay cancellation fee if it doesn't work for me. Doesn't give me that much time but I guess enough where I can test our various spots.

If you get to do the test, use something like www.pcpitstop.com and do a download bandwidth test. While I don't trust the actual numbers they give me, I always use pcpitstop for testing so I can compare the results.



in fringe areas with standard access I get around 30-50K, in Center City Phila and around Washington I have seen 300K (but I never go camping in the city ).



My Verizon card (an older one) has an external antenna jack, and I have a 3db gain magnet mount antenna. Its worth an extra 2 or 3 bars (It can also allow a connection where the standard built in antenna will not have service). In the RV I stick the antenna onto the light over the kitchen table (upside down). One place I had to put a metal pot on the roof and stick the antenna onto the pot. The newer cards are faster but don't have the antenna jack. My feelings are I would rather have service that was slower, then no service on a newer fast card.



One thing that is neat about using the card is (the passenger) can use the internet while driving down the road



when you install the software it adds a program that points at Verizon proxy servers, and they compress graphics to try to make it even faster. (I did not install that part of the program).



My coworker runs his all day at work, the price we pay is for unlimited access.



forgot to add, There are some places where you are out of the verizon network (out on the outerbanks) and it just don't work at all. Good signal, but no internet service.

 

[cArNiVaLwOrKeR]

Here's the best 1 of em all, I hava SPRINT cellphone w/data internet unlimited monthly, hooks up to my cellphone and anywhere , i mean anywhere as long as i have signal, it works like magic, even on a highway going 90MPH

actually im using it @ work right now where its forbidden to access the net on company time

 

[TowPro]

carnivalworker, if you go to pcpitstop and do a download bandwidth test, what speeds are you seeing?

 

[Eric_77]

Roomate had the Verizon service when we were in New Orleans. When he recieved teh broadband connection it was only slightly slower than DSL. But I found with a wireless card I could have access if I looked for 20 minutes.



I know I piggy back when I travel and was working on the road so I have left my home system open to others that need to do the same thing, which I don't mind but I probably have a few neighbors that rely on it .

 

[cArNiVaLwOrKeR]

carnivalworker, if you go to pcpitstop and do a download bandwidth test, what speeds are you seeing?

713 on the Download 121 Upload

 

[TowPro]

713 on the Download 121 Upload

There was no K in that number? Its 713 bytes and not 713Kb correct?

 

[cArNiVaLwOrKeR]

Of course, 713k, like 1/2 of the speed of a Full T-1.

Like I said, its a joke and OMAZING

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I'm in a campsite in the middle of nowhere michigan and I'm on via my Verizon Treo 650. I have a very weak signal here (1 bar) and am testing out at 52k right now. I've seen as high as 128k with a good signal. This is on their 1x data network and in the vast majority of places I have a 1x data connection (even in the middle of the U. P. ). Outside of their data network I can use my Treo 650 as a dial up modem and can connect at 19k. It's slow but it can get the job done. When on the 1x data network it's very usable. For browsing the TDR site I change to the PDA/Dial-up skin and it's very fast - I wish more sites would offer a stripped down version for slow connections. My data plan costs me $45/month for unlimited usage on top of my cell bill. Technically you aren't supposed to use a laptop with it but lots of people do and as long as you don't abuse it it doesn't seem to be a problem. Most of the time I browse right from my phone.